Card-follower.



E. G. HOLLAND.

- CARD FOLLOWBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1906.

912,571 Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. G. HOLLAND.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' secured blocks D D.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

ELIAS O. EOLLAND, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO METAL SEOTIONAL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION.

OARD-FOLLOWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed March 19, 1905. Serial No. 306,942.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS C. HOLLAND, of Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Followers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to cabinets for filing documents and cards and has special reference to that class of cabinets intended to receive a varying number of documents and cards.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a drawer of a filing cabinet, showing my follower in perspective. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of my follower taken through the line 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are details of the locking mechanism of my follower. Fig. 7 is a plan view of my follower showing its points of contact with the drawer. Fig. 8 is rear elevation view, and Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of the locking mechanism.

More particularly described, A represents the filing drawer, and a, a represent the ribbed edges of the same.

B re resents the face of my foflower and is prefera oly inclined from the front of the drawer A to permit better separation of the upper edges of the documents filed in front of the follower. The face B is secured at its upper edge to the plate C which extends across the drawer A and terminates at either end in a shoe 0 c which conform in size and shape to the ribs a, a, which they embrace and with which they have sliding engagement, see Fig. 8. Parallel to the said plate C and of approximately the same width but plate O by means of rivets or bolts 0 c, the rivets c 0 being of such length as to allow a small space between the said plates C and O. Spacing pieces 0 c are inserted between the ends of the plate C and O. Between the two plates C and C lies the mechanism by which my follower is adjustably locked within the drawer A. This locking mechanism consists of two sliding bars D, D, lying between the plates C. and C and are intended to engage the sides of the drawer A in opposition to the shoes 0 0, see Fig. 8. Adjacent to the inner ends of the bars D. D., are These blocks D D are each secured to one of the rivets 0 upon which they are designed to turn. The blocks D D and the bars D D have sliding engagement with each other, and I preferably fit them with convex and concave engaging faces respectively, both for the purpose of keeping them in contact and to allow a better sliding movement. On the side opposite to the bars D. D. the said blocks D D are fitted with angled faces with which to engage like angled faces on a collar D which has a movement lateral to the said plates C and C and at right angles to the contemplated movement of the bars D. D. This collar D is bored and fitted around an eccentric D which same is journaled to the plates O and C, see Fig. 2. A square pin D with a rounded head to engage said plate O is driven through the said eccentric D and projects beyond the upper face of the device, see Fig. 2. A square key may be used to engage the pin D by which the lock may be operated, or a thumb screw may be provided for the purpose, as follows: A thumb screw D is provided with a squared hole in one end to fit over the pin D The pin D is fitted with female threads in its upper end, and a screw D is projected through a suitable aperture in the thumb screw D and engaged with the threads so formed in the top of the pin D In the operation of my device the bars D. D. are driven longitudinally outward from the center of the plates C and O and engage in frictional contact with the sides of the drawer A. IN hen the bars are released from this contact, some means must be provided to retire the said bars from the sides of the drawer-A. To effect this retirement, I arh t th 1 t C tt 1 1 t d I range the springs 61, (Z, within a suitable slot s or or, ano er p a e 1s a aciec o sa1 in said bars D. D. which springs are adapted to bear against the ends of the said slots and the rivets c.

In operation, the turning of the thumb screw D revolves the eccentric D and moves the collar D in a direction lateral to the said plates C and C. This movement swings the blocks D D on their axes and drives the bars D. D. from the center and into contact with the sides of the drawer. W hen the mechanism is released by a reverse movement, the springs d, d, operate to retire the bars D. D. from their locking contact. The shoes 0. c, designed to clasp the ribs a, a, as shown in Fig. 1, serve the purpose of holding the follower within the drawer A even though the device be unlocked from the sides of the said drawer.

In my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of the device herein described, but desire my invention to be extended to the use of a casing in lieu of the plates C and C and any and all other modifications within the scope hereof.

What I claim as my invention is,

1. In a' filing cabinet, the combination with a drawer of a card follower consisting of a plate having sliding engagement with the sides of said drawer, a follower face secured to said plate and inclined toward the front of said drawer, a retaining plate secured to the bottom of said plate, and intermediate said plates two sliding bars adapted to engage in frictional contact with said drawer, blocks attached by axes to said plates and adjacent to said bars, and means for turning said blocks on said axes, and effecting contact of said bars with the said drawer.

.2. In a filing cabinet, the combination with a drawer of a card follower, comprising two parallel plates, one of which has sliding engagement with the sides of said drawer and a locking mechanism secured intermediate thesaid parallel plates consisting of sliding bars adapted to move longitudinally between said plates and engage the sides of said drawer, blocks attached by axes to said plates and adjacent to and engaging with said bars, an eccentric journaled between said plates and means for operatively connecting said eccentric with the said blocks.

3. In a filing cabinet, the combination with a drawer of a card follower comprising two parallel plates, one of which has sliding engagement with the sides of said drawer, and a locking mechanism secured intermediate the said parallel plates consisting of sliding bars adapted to move longitudinally between said plates and engage the sides of said drawer, blocks attached by axes to said plates and adjacent to and engaging with said bars, an eccentric journaled between said plates, and a collar riding upon said eccentric and engaging said blocks.

4:. In a filing cabinet, the combination with a drawer of a card follower comprising two parallel plates one of which has sliding engagement with the sides of said drawer, and locking mechanism secured intermediate the said parallel plates consisting of sliding bars adapted to move longitudinally between said plates and engage the sides of said drawer, blocks attached by axes to said plates and adjacent to and engaging with allel plates one of which has sliding engagement with the sides of said drawer, a follower face attached to one of said plates and a locking mechanism secured inter-mediate the said plates consisting of sliding bars having frictional contact with the sides of said drawer, blocks secured by axes to said plates and having contact with the ends of said bars, an eccentric journaled to said plates, a collar riding upon said eccentric and having contact with said blocks, and means for holding said bars when released from said frictional contact, in a retired position consisting of springs engaging said bars and to said plates.

6. In a filing cabinet the combination with a drawer of a card follower comprising an open end casing having engagement with the sides of said drawer, a follower face attached to said casing, and a locking mechanism inclosed in said casing .and consisting of sliding bars adapted to engage in frictional contact the sides of said drawer springs attached to said bars, and to said casing, whereby said bars may normally be held in a retired position, blocks attached to said casing by axes, and having engagement with said bars, a collar having engagement with said blocks and an eccentric journaled within said casing and rotating within a suitable aperture in said collar,

whereby said collar is moved laterally to' said casing thereby forcing said blocks on their axes against said bars, driving said bars outward and into contact with the sides of the said drawer, substantially .as

described, andfor the purposes herein set 

